Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Sells 2,563,936 Shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lowered its stake in shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) by 41.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,561,606 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 2,563,936 shares during the quarter. Alibaba Group comprises 0.5% of Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in Alibaba Group were worth $301,989,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BABA. Wynn Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Alibaba Group by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Wynn Capital LLC now owns 13,013 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,103,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Ignite Planners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Alibaba Group by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 5,737 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $491,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the period. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Alibaba Group by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,371 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $710,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its stake in Alibaba Group by 99.3% in the fourth quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 2,931 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $248,000 after purchasing an additional 1,460 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Alibaba Group by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,825 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $324,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. 13.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Alibaba Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BABA opened at $81.67 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $86.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $87.66. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has a 52-week low of $66.63 and a 52-week high of $117.82. The company has a market cap of $194.62 billion, a PE ratio of 16.57, a PEG ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) last issued its earnings results on Friday, November 15th. The specialty retailer reported $15.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $13.19. The company had revenue of $236.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $239.45 billion. Alibaba Group had a net margin of 8.98% and a return on equity of 12.28%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.82 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Alibaba Group Holding Limited will post 8.44 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BABA has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $137.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Alibaba Group from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Alibaba Group from $88.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Macquarie raised Alibaba Group from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $145.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 7th. Finally, Mizuho upped their price target on Alibaba Group from $92.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $115.13.

Alibaba Group Company Profile

Alibaba Group Holding Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help merchants, brands, retailers, and other businesses to engage with their users and customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates through seven segments: China Commerce, International Commerce, Local Consumer Services, Cainiao, Cloud, Digital Media and Entertainment, and Innovation Initiatives and Others.